NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made
Among those NBA players ranked in the top twenty-five in career free throws made, two players sank more than 8,000 free throws and all twenty-five made more than 5,000 free throws. Career free throw percentages for these players range from .511 to .888 with eleven achieving free throw percentages greater than .800. The range for free throw attempts per game for these players is 5 to 11. Thirteen of these players had careers lasting more than 15 years, eight spent their entire careers with just one team, and four remain active. No active player is likely to surpass the current leader in free throws made.
After reading this article, return to the following links to read: "NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points," "NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game (PPG)," "NBA All-Time Leaders: Career 3 Pointers Made," "NBA All-Time Leaders: Career 3 Point Percentage," "NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throw Percentage," "NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Rebounds," "NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Rebounds Per Game (RPG) ," "NBA Champions (1947-present)," "NBA Finals MVPs (1969-present)," "NBA All-Star Game Scores (1951-present)," and "NBA All-Star Game MVPs (1951-present)."
1. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Karl Malone
Free Throws Made (FTM): 9,787
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 13,188
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .742
Games Played: 1,476
FTA Per Game: 9
Active Period: Utah Jazz (1985-2002); Los Angeles Lakers (2002-2003)
2. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Moses Malone
Free Throws Made (FTM): 8,531
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 11,090
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .769
Games Played: 1,329
FTA Per Game: 8
Active Period: Buffalo Braves (1976-1977); Houston Rockets (1976-1982); Philadelphia 76ers (1982-1986); Washington Bullets (1986-1988); Atlanta Hawks (1988-1991); Milwaukee Bucks (1991-1993); San Antonio Spurs (1994-1995)
3. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Oscar Robertson
Free Throws Made (FTM): 7,694
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 9,185
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .838
Games Played: 1,040
FTA Per Game: 9
Active Period: Cincinnati Royals (1960-1970); Milwaukee Bucks (1970-1974)
4. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Michael Jordan
Free Throws Made (FTM): 7,327
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 8,772
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .835
Games Played: 1,072
FTA Per Game: 8
Active Period: Chicago Bulls (1984-1998); Washington Wizzards (2002-2003)
5. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Jerry West
Free Throws Made (FTM): 7,160
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 8,801
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .814
Games Played: 932
FTA Per Game: 9
Active Period: Los Angeles Lakers (1960-1974)
6. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Dolph Schayes
Free Throws Made (FTM): 6,979
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 8,274
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .843
Games Played: 1,059
FTA Per Game: 8
Active Period: Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers (1948-1964)
7. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Kobe Bryant
Free Throws Made (FTM): 6,859
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 8,190
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .837
Games Played: 1,070
FTA Per Game: 8
Active Period: Los Angeles Lakers (1996-present)
8. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Adrian Dantley
Free Throws Made (FTM): 6,832
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 8,351
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .818
Games Played: 955
FTA Per Game: 9
Active Period: Buffalo Braves (1976-1977); Indiana Pacers (1977); Los Angeles Lakers (1977-1979); Utah Jazz (1979-1986); Detroit Pistons (1986-1989); Dallas Mavericks (1988-1990); Milwaukee Bucks (1990-1991)
9. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Free Throws Made (FTM): 6,712
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 9,304
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .721
Games Played: 1,560
FTA Per Game: 6
Active Period: Milwaukee Bucks (1969-1975); Los Angeles Lakers (1975-1988)
10. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Allen Iverson
Free Throws Made (FTM): 6,375
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 8,168
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .780
Games Played: 914
FTA Per Game: 9
Active Period: Philadelphia 76ers (1996-2006, 2009-2010); Denver Nuggets (2006-2008); Detroit Pistons (2008-2009); Memphis Grizzlies (2009)
11. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Charles Barkley
Free Throws Made (FTM): 6,349
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 8,643
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .735
Games Played: 1,073
FTA Per Game: 8
Active Period: Philadelphia 76ers (1984-1992); Phoenix Suns (1992-1996); Houston Rockets (1996-2000)
12. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Reggie Miller
Free Throws Made (FTM): 6,237
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 7,026
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .888
Games Played: 1,389
FTA Per Game: 5
Active Period: Indiana Pacers (1989-2005)
13. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Bob Pettit
Free Throws Made (FTM): 6,182
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 8,119
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .761
Games Played: 792
FTA Per Game: 10
Active Period: Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (1954-1965)
14. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Wilt Chamberlain
Free Throws Made (FTM): 6,057
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 11,862
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .511
Games Played: 1,045
FTA Per Game: 11
Active Period: Philadelphia/S.F. Warriors (1959-1965); Philadelphia 76ers (1965-1968); Los Angeles Lakers (1968-1973)
15. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - David Robinson
Free Throws Made (FTM): 6,035
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 8,201
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .736
Games Played: 987
FTA Per Game: 8
Active Period: San Antonio Spurs (1989-2003)
16. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Dominique Wilkins
Free Throws Made (FTM): 6,031
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 7,438
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .811
Games Played: 1,074
FTA Per Game: 7
Active Period: Atlanta Hawks (1982-1994); Los Angeles Clippers (1993-1994); Boston Celtics (1994-1995); San Antonio Spurs (1996-1997); Orlando Magic (1998-1999)
17. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Shaquille O'Neal
Free Throws Made (FTM): 5,935
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 11,252
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .527
Games Played: 1,206
FTA Per Game: 9
Active Period: Orlando Magic (1992-1996); Los Angeles Lakers (1996-2004); Miami Heat (2004-2007, 2007-2008); Phoenix Suns (2007-2008, 2008-2009), Cleveland Indians (2009-2010); Boston Celtics (2010-present)
18. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Elgin Baylor
Free Throws Made (FTM): 5,763
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 7,391
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .780
Games Played: 846
FTA Per Game: 9
Active Period: Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (1958-1971)
19. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Paul Pierce
Free Throws Made (FTM): 5,639
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 7,019
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .803
Games Played: 934
FTA Per Game: 8
Active Period: Boston Celtics (1998-present)
20. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Dirk Nowitzski
Free Throws Made (FTM): 5,505
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 6,283
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .876
Games Played: 958
FTA Per Game: 7
Active Period: Dallas Mavericks (1998-present)
21. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Hakeem Olajuwon
Free Throws Made (FTM): 5,423
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 7,621
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .712
Games Played: 1,238
FTA Per Game: 6
Active Period: Houston Rockets (1984-2002)
22. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Lenny Wilkens
Free Throws Made (FTM): 5,394
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 6,973
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .774
Games Played: 1,077
FTA Per Game: 7
Active Period: St. Louis Hawks (1960-1968); Seattle SuperSonics (1968-1972); Cleveland Cavaliers (1972-1974); Portland Trail Blazers (1974-1975)
23. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Patrick Ewing
Free Throws Made (FTM): 5,392
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 7,289
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .740
Games Played: 1,183
FTA Per Game: 6
Active Period: New York Knicks (1985-2000); Seattle SuperSonics (2000-2001); Orlando Magic (2001-2002)
24. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - John Havlicek
Free Throws Made (FTM): 5,369
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 6,589
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .815
Games Played: 1,270
FTA Per Game: 5
Active Period: Boston Celtics (1962-1978)
25. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made - Elvin Hayes
Free Throws Made (FTM): 5,356
Free Throw Attempts (FTA): 7,999
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .670
Games Played: 1,303
FTA Per Game: 6
Active Period: San Diego/Houston Rockets (1968-1972, 1981-1984); Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets (1972-1981)
Source(s):
"ALL-TIME LEADERS: FREE THROWS MADE," NBA.com
Published by J.C. Grant
A writer interested in education, finance, health, history, law, music, polemics, politics, satire, sports, statistics, travel, and trivia. View profile
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5 Comments
Post a CommentThanks J.C. :o)
Sending it along to the boys, cheers :)
I like BB articles.
Your work with statistics is definitely imprssive, J.C.
ps...you must have started at AC a couple months after I did:)
Impressive.